The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Edm - When most people consider Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes up, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is certainly looking after of the style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people on the party area for many years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing number of artists have abandoned the dance floor for various cultural and artistic influences. Today, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from your broader spectrum from the Caribbean and South usa, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Trumpet - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a big part in the increase of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó into the style also an even more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has developed a unique approach together with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it has only been that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the concept of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez has utilized his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs as a foundation for jazz.

Argentina has always been known for it's passionate tango, and lots of musicians have discovered this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has produced a unique language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the task of influential composer Astor Piazzolla using a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often look at the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim once they look at the mixture of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, but the style is continuing to grow into something a lot more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has produced upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and designed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a brand new York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Edm - The party area is obviously still part of Latin Jazz - just hear the music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for any healthy dose of danceable jazz. The style has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting an even more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners an even more diverse experience.